Des Moines Archives - COMMUNITY BUILDER

DSM USA

Tiffany Tauscheck is the President & CEO of Greater Des Moines Partnership! This special episode highlights the results of Tiffany’s recent 11-county listening tour with 23 different chambers of commerces and how different communities can collaborate even when environmental factors are different. We then shift gears to discuss leadership within transitional times, data-driven storytelling, and the future of the Des Moines metro.

After you refill your mug, Ben and Tiffany talk about evolving startup communities and entreprenierual ecosystem building. As a cool connection to EP72 of YDNTP, listen as we discuss innovative ideas for member-supported organizations, such as chambers of commerce, non-profits, and industry associations. We review the economic and talent development showcased in the DSM Partnership’s 2024 Annual Report, then go flying with ecosystem allies before an invitation to get in the arena.

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BONUS MATERIALS

Tiffany Tauscheck Bio

Living in Des Moines

Spark DSM + Scale DSM

DSM Partnership’s Entrepreneurship Resources

http://DSM-USA.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

EP5 – Jam with Jay 🎙️ Jay Byers

EP13 – Growing the Garden 🎙️ Diana Wright

http://CollectorHardbackEdition.com

http://RoastedReflections.com

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 3 weeksJanuary 29, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Game Time

Joe Roth leverages game play to build community. This proverbial camp director ignites camaraderie through The Dealt Hand and connects people through a shared experience. Listen as we talk analog game play, event management, and embracing activities that bring you pleasure. Enjoy your time playing in this real and keep doing hard things.

After Ben narrates Echos from the Roasted Reflections library, Joe jams on leading within the startup community. Specifically, his time as the lead organizer for 1 Million Cups Des Moines. We brew on identifying roles amongst a volunteers, fueling diverse collisions within an audience, tips for presenting at 1MC, and how graduating gracefully adds valuable thickness in an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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BONUS MATERIALS
https://TheDealtHand.com
http://Game-Time.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com
http://1MillionCupsDSM.com
https://1millioncups.com/s/communities
Reading Break from Roasted Reflections: Echos
http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 3 monthsNovember 27, 2024 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Intentional Connections

How do you get comfortable with being uncomfortable? Having lived on two different islands in Japan, Italy, and the Philippines, Lisa Behrends is a seasoned business strategist and executive with an explorer’s perspective.

Follow your instincts and surround yourself with EP61, as Lisa and Ben are in-studio talking about all the things! This episode’s title pays homage to a quest you’ll hear more about here, called Intentional Connections. Within these community-driven environments, we talk about how to show up, stand out, and following up to thicken an engaged network. This will help you find a healthy slowness to help those you meet, be seen, heard, and valued.

After a special break with another writing from the Roasted Reflections library. In this episode, Ben narrates “Anxiety”. After this mindful moment, Lisa talks about ways to live intentionally. Being aware of how you brew life’s resources, time, and relationships. A powerful closing shines as we close. Enjoy, share with one friend, and thank you for strolling on a thought-filled walk with us.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://LisaBehrends.com

https://IntentionalConnectionsEvents.com

http://Intentional-Connections.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Reading Break from Roasted Reflections: Anxiety

http://CollectorHardbackEdition.com

http://RoastedReflections.com

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 4 monthsOctober 23, 2024 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Drams of History

Tej Dhawan is an advocate for entrepreneurs building within all stages of growth. He’s been building technology and has been connecting dots since the earliest days of the Des Moines startup community. Many may hear their name mentioned in this special relic and cheers to all that was StartupCity Des Moines back in 2011!

Now at Principal Financial Group, Tej serves as Strategic Initiatives Officer and helps leads innovation as an intrapreneur within one of the largest companies in the world. He continues to connect angel investors with Plains Angels and is always up for a good chat over great scotch.

You’re going to love this history lesson on Des Moines, Iowa, but no matter where you’re listening from, there are tons of takeaways that can be applied where entrepreneurs are leading the evolution of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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By Ben McDougal, 1 yearSeptember 4, 2023 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Growing the Garden

Hit the trail and plant some seeds with Diana Wright! As the Startup Community Builder for Greater Des Moines Partnership, Diana is a leader who uses the art of connection to evolve the Des Moines startup community, while also weaving webs throughout Iowa and beyond.

Together, we explore building within complex entrepreneurial ecosystems, how to plug into a startup community, the importance of learning from failure, communities of practice, Startup Iowa’s Hot List, and ways ecosystem allies can push through a J Curve by adding diverse energy into the mix.

BONUS: Listen closely to snag a free download of the YDNTB audiobook!

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By Ben McDougal, 1 yearAugust 28, 2023 ago

Ben McDougal is an author, founder, technologist, and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in the connected era.

Ben has been called a polymath. He evolves ideas into reality and accelerates others through the art of connection. Check out the innovations this leader has activated over time!

You’ve likely met Ben or heard him speak.

You Don’t Need This Podcast has been the place to enjoy a podcast every Wednesday morning for a while now! McDougal’s latest creation unites 80+ timeless episodes, each with featured guests in-studio! Listen and watch as leaders brew through the fabrics of an entrepreneurial lifestyle. The content creation never stops either. 160+ writings are now minted into Roasted Reflections. This library is a literary journey for the mind and could present a compelling path toward an all-new format coming soon.

Shifting gears, the quest that is FliteBrite remains compelling and an active part of Ben’s journey as a founder. Since 2012, their electronic serving system and beer festival app have created tech-infused paths for craft breweries and event organizers. This tasty story continues to be written, with fun, friendships, successes, learnings, and more fun, every step of the build.

Alongside his ventures, Ben caffeinates a nationwide movement called 1 Million Cups. After leading 1MC Des Moines for 5 years, Ben now collaborates with the Kauffman Foundation as the @1MCMidwest Regional Rep. He’s been making a ruckus in this position for over 5 years. What glorious collision, with endless generous 1MC organizers, in countless entrepreneurial ecosystems. Ben loves this leadership role brewed to connect and support 1MC organizers from 100+ communities throughout the Midwest and nationwide!

When it comes to nationwide efforts, Ben also had the privilege of teaming up with Techstars as an Entrepreneur in Residence and Ecosystem Builder. Investing 2021-2023 to build through the Iowa Techstars Accelerator was fantastic. That marketing-flavored, community building, culture, and founder-support role allowed Ben to continue accelerating inspired entrepreneurs… while connecting mentors and investors from around the globe.

Such experiential wisdom is translated into BENergy as McDougal speaks with a variety of different audiences. For example, You Don’t Need This Keynote activates students, while other talks accelerate young professionals, founders, side hustlers, and intrapreneurs. Watch fantastic examples here, then let’s chat about your next event, keynote speaker ideas, workshop collaborations, and/or entrepreneurial initiatives.

There’s so much more too. The full story is linked below and a spacious museum will keep you appreciating work that feels like play. As you’ll see through stories, Ben also enjoys travel, golf, EDM expeditions, reading, Seth Godin, philosophy, wine, craft beer, pinball, and spending treasured time with his wife and daughter. May the best of your todays, be the worst of your tomorrows. Cheers!

FULL STORY